


Speak the Words They Can

by blissfire



Category: Entourage
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-17
Updated: 2009-11-17
Packaged: 2017-10-03 05:28:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blissfire/pseuds/blissfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vince would never tell E, because he'd never understand, but secretly, Vince loved it when guys like Walsh and Harvey gave E such a hard time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speak the Words They Can

Vince would never tell E, because he'd never understand, but secretly, Vince loved it when guys like Walsh and Harvey gave E such a hard time. Not because he liked to see E disrespected - he kept a careful eye on all of E's adversaries, and if they ever said anything that would really injure E, Vince used his position as the Petulant Movie Star That Must Be Placated to get them to shut their goddamn mouths.

That almost never happened, though. For all of E's hidden insecurities, he didn't let strangers' words get to him. Assholes like Harvey could spew anything their decades of spoiled Hollywood decadence had taught them, and it all rolled off E's back, provoking no emotion other than anger. And that was part of what Vince found so attractive about the conflict - not that E was angry, but that he was angry _and didn't do anything about it._

From the time they were six years old, Eric Murphy had returned any perceived slight with violence. Any snide remark about his height, his poor family, his friends, and Eric would have the offender in the dirt almost before the sentence was finished. Vince had once seen Eric give a seventh-grader a split lip because he'd made an unflattering remark about his gym shoes. He didn't care whether the person doing the offending was the teacher's son, the high school jock, or a millionaire L.A. bigwig. Eric was raised to give due respect to everyone he met, and if that respect wasn't returned, he demanded it - fame, money, or a fifty pound handicap be damned.

And yet here he was, sitting in Ari's expensive downtown office, hands clasped together as he sat in a chair that had probably cost more than anything either of them had ever owned growing up, as Ari chewed him out for basically doing what Vince had asked him to do. And he didn't say a fucking _word_. He just sat there, tense as a dog held on leash, practically vibrating with resentment at the way Ari was swearing and yelling in his face.

But he sat there, and he _took it_.

And this was the thing that made Vince fall a little more in love with him every time some studio executive or condescending financial backer ripped him a new one. Because E was doing it for him. He'd sit there and suppress his own nature, let some asshole call him every name in the book, and the only reason he did it was to protect Vince's career. Every time someone refused to shake his hand, dismissing him as unworthy of notice, and E swallowed his pride and the words Vince knew were burning in his throat, Vince felt his chest clench with gratitude and pride and helpless, stupid love for Eric because he'd decided that Vince's happiness was more important. Oh, E couldn't hide his spots forever, and sometimes he reached his limit, and there were overturned tables and ripped shirts and public beatings, and Vince kind of enjoyed those moments too.

But it was the moments like these, when E fought back with nothing more than a glare and a tight jaw, that Vince wanted to turn around and straddle him where he sat. Just rub himself all over his best friend and say _thank you_ and _I love you_ and _I know this isn't easy for you_ and _Jesus Christ, fuck me_.

Because every time Ari said "you're fucking up your best friend's career and you don't even care," what Eric was saying to Vince was something else entirely.

**Author's Note:**

> Title ganked from "In Between" by Linkin Park because titles spank me hard:  
> _I cannot explain to you  
> And anything I say or do  
> I hope the actions speak the words they can_


End file.
